Written Answers of 1 February 2001

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Departmental Surveys
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list for(a) 1992–93, (b) 1993–94, (c) 1994–95, (d) 1995–96, (e) 1996–97, (f) 1997–98, (g) 1998–99, (h) 1999–2000 and (i) 2000–01, (I) his Department's total spending on quantitative and qualitative surveys of policy issues by focus groups, opinion polling, task forces or other means and (II) the cost of each individual project. [146582]

  Dr. Howells
  The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Information on task forces, including reports produced, is updated and published every six months.

  Employment Agency Regulations
  Mr. Hope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will publish a revised draft of the Employment Agency Regulations. [148636]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  I have today released a final draft of the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations and will be consulting representative bodies. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses, and also on my Department's website www.dti.gov.uk. I have invited comments to be made by 16 March.

  Car Industry (Government Assistance)
  Sir David Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Government assistance has been provided to(a) General Motors and (b) Vauxhall Motors in the UK in the past five years. [148142]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  (a) No Government assistance has been provided to General Motors in the last five years.

  (b) Vauxhall Motors have received a total of £10 million Regional Selective Assistance. This was a single offer in support of a project to modernise the Ellesmere Port plant and introduce the new Astra model in 1997. All the grant has been fully drawn down by the company.

  Miners (Compensation)
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many ex-miners from(a) Scotland and (b) the UK claiming compensation for chronic bronchitis and emphysema have died before their claims were fully processed; and how many claims have been fully processed to date. [148211]
  252W
  Mr. Hain
  The Department's claim handling agents, IRISC, have registered a total of 6,802 claims by former miners who have died and where the date of death is after the date of claim. Of these 656 were Scottish claimants. In all these cases the claims will be continued by the claimant's widow or dependants. In addition, where the claimant's death certificate shows that one of the respiratory diseases for which British Coal were found liable either caused or materially contributed to the death, the Department will also make bereavement or loss of society awards. The Department has made 4,650 bereavement or loss of society awards, totalling £38.7 million. Of these 258, totalling £2 million, were Scottish claimants.

  The Department has settled some 7,080 claims in full, with payments totalling £25 million. Of these some 585 settlements, totalling £1.6 million, were to Scottish claimants. In addition the Department has made some 25,000 interim settlements, totalling £83.5 million, with some 2,000 payments, totalling £5.5 million, made to Scottish claimants.

  In total the Department paid out £21.6 million in coal mining compensation to Scottish respiratory and vibration white finger claimants.

  Judy Mallaber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former miners in Amber Valley have(a) claimed and (b) received payments in compensation for chronic bronchitis and emphysema. [147389]

  Mr. Hain
  The Department's claim handling agents, IRISC, have registered 1,945 claims in respect of chronic bronchitis and emphysema from claimants in Amber Valley. As at 24 January the Department had settled 106 claims in full, and made a further 219 interim settlements. In total the Department has paid out nearly £1 million in respect of chronic bronchitis and emphysema related compensation in Amber Valley.

  Arms Exports
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the process of indirect offset with regard to Arms export licences. [147594]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 29 January 2001]: I have been asked to reply.

  Offset (both direct and indirect) is a matter between the customer and the supplier. For the criteria for export licensing, I refer the hon. Member to the answer which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave on 26 October 2000, Official Report, columns 199–203W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Crawley (Laura Moffatt).

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Homes and Leasehold Reform Bills
  Mr. Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on which dates the Minister for the Environment attended departmental meetings to discuss(a) the Homes Bill and (b) the Leasehold Reform Bill. [147444]
  253W
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  Information about internal meetings and advice is not disclosed under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. Temple-Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on how many occasions municipal solid waste incinerators have been found to be operating in breach of conditions on their operation imposed by(a) planning consents and (b) pollution control consents in each of the last five years; and what assessment was made of the potential damage to the health of local residents in each case. [147506]

  Mr. Meacher
  Planning Consents: The Department does not keep a central record of breaches of planning consent conditions. It is the responsibility of the local planning authority that imposed the planning conditions to assess the effect of any that are breached and to take any necessary action.

  Pollution Control Consents: Within the UK, municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) are regulated under part 1 of the Environment Protection Act 1990 by the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, the Environment and Heritage Service in Northern Ireland and local authorities. In England and Wales, the Environment Agency is responsible for regulating MSWIs with a capacity of one tonne per hour or more under the Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) regime.

  The table summarises the numbers of breaches of emission limits to air from MSWIs currently operating in England and Wales under the IPC regime. The table does not include breaches of limits in the period 1 January to 1 December 1996 for MSWIs that closed following the implementation of the Council Directive on the reduction of air pollution from existing municipal waste incineration plants.

  All operators of MSWIs are required by their authorisations to inform the Agency of any breaches of emission limit values or failures of equipment that could result in a breach. On receipt of these notifications the Agency assesses the cause and the potential effect on the environment and health. Where enforcement action is necessary the Agency follows its Enforcement and Prosecution Policy. I understand that to date there have been no breaches of limits that have warranted a detailed study of the impact on health, as the Agency has determined that the potential impact would be negligible. However, should an emission limit be exceeded in the future to the extent that the impact is not likely to be negligible, the Agency has assured me that it would take appropriate enforcement action and study the potential effects.

  Numbers of breaches of emission limit values for MSWIs between January and December for the period 1996–2000

  Air

  1996–98 (annual average)

  1999

  2000

  HCl

  302 (101)

  142

  60

  SO2

  11 (4)

  42

  13

  NOx

  34 (12)

  29

  27

  CO

  65 (22)

  107

  41

  254W

  Numbers of breaches of emission limit values for MSWIs between January and December for the period 1996–2000

  Air

  1996–98 (annual average)

  1999

  2000

  Particulate matter

  16 (6)

  3

  5

  Metals

  0

  1

  0

  HF

  1 (0.3)

  0

  0

  Dioxins

  0

  0

  0

  Countryside and Rights of Way Act
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what length of time he will allow for the completion of the mapping exercises required by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [147702]

  Mr. Meacher
  My Department has a Public Service Agreement target to open up public access to mountain, moor, heath, down and registered common land by the end of 2005. The Countryside Agency has a duty under the Act to prepare and consult on statutory maps of open country and registered common land in England. This is a major task. The Agency plans to map region by region and aims to complete the mapping process by September 2004.

  We are considering with the Agency the possibility of early commencement of the right, either on a region-by-region basis, or for mountains over 600 m and registered common land.

  GM Products
  Joan Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the European Parliament's decision to allow the European Commission to start issuing new licences for GM products to go on to the market in Europe from February. [147579]

  Mr. Meacher
  The European Parliament has taken no such decision. The placing on the market of products consisting of or containing GMOs within the European Community is governed by Directive 90/220/EEC. The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union are currently considering a revision to this Directive under Community co-decision procedures. In accordance with these procedures, the Parliament and the Council are required to take a decision by 14 February 2001 on whether to adopt the text of a revised Directive approved jointly by a Conciliation Committee of the two institutions on 20 December 2000. On the assumption the revised Directive is adopted as currently drafted, member states and the Commission will continue to have joint responsibility, as they have under the existing directive, for taking decisions on the authorisation of the placing on the market of products controlled by the Directive. Such decisions are taken on a case-by-case basis, including detailed assessment of the measures necessary to avoid any adverse effects on human health and the environment that might arise from the authorisation of a particular product.

  Abandoned Vehicles
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the estimated number of motor vehicles abandoned in the Greater London area during the month of November 2000; and if he will make a statement. [147839]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The Department holds no central records of the number of vehicles identified as abandoned. Abandoned vehicles in the Greater London area are the responsibility of the London borough councils and the Corporation of London under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what talks have taken place with provisional bidders for NATS in regard to extra capacity and aircraft movements in British airports. [148190]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  Bidders for the NATS PPP are required to submit a long-term strategic plan covering all aspects of NATS business, including proposals for meeting the challenge of increasing demand for airspace capacity.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the consultants advising the Government on the sale of NATS. [148167]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The following consultants are employed by the Government in connection with the NATS PPP:

  Credit Suisse First Boston

  Slaughter and May

  Deloitte and Touche

  Ove Arup and Logica

  Real Time Engineering

  Enviros Aspinwall

  Insignia Richard Ellis

  PricewaterhouseCoopers.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has had from the IPMS concerning the possibility of industrial action involving air traffic controllers. [148145]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  None.

  Private Property Owners (Local Authority Licensing Scheme)
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to consult on proposals for legislation to give powers to local authorities to set up schemes for selective licensing of private property owners. [148052]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning to my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd) on 30 January 2001,Official Report, column 129W.

  Rate Relief (Sports Clubs)
  Mr. Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what the annual cost is of giving mandatory rate relief at 50 per cent. to voluntary sports clubs in England; [147887]

  (2) how many voluntary sports clubs in England during 1998–99 received discretionary rate relief; and at what level; [147888]

  (3) how many voluntary sports clubs in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland are listed with the relevant agency responsible for the collection of rateable values; [147890]

  (4) how many sports clubs in England will benefit from the mandatory rate relief and discretionary relief proposals published in the Green Paper on the Local Government Finance Bill; [147894]

  (5) how many voluntary clubs in England have a rateable value of under (a) £3,000 and (b) £8,000. [147895]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 31 January 2001]: The rating lists do not record the use of property as a voluntary sports club as distinct from other sports clubs, so the information is not available in the form requested. The rating lists for England include around 16,000 sports properties, including those used by voluntary clubs as well as professional and commercial sports bodies. The equivalent information requested regarding Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland relates to a devolved matter and as such is for the relevant devolved administration to provide.

  Of the 16,000 sports properties in England, around 7,500 have rateable values of under £3,000 and a further 4,000 have rateable values above £3,000 and below £8,000.

  Under the proposals in our Green Paper "Modernising Local Government Finance", mandatory rate relief would be available to all small businesses and non-profit making bodies in England. All 11,500 sports properties with rateable values below £8,000 would be eligible for the relief, the amount depending on their size. 7,500 sports properties with rateable values below £3,000 would be eligible for 50 per cent. mandatory relief. 3,000 properties with rateable values between £3,000 and £6,000 would be eligible for mandatory relief between 50 per cent. and 20 per cent. 1,000 properties with rateable values between £6,000 and £8,000 would be eligible for mandatory relief of less than 20 per cent., tapering to no mandatory relief above £8,000. Mandatory relief would be available to all non-profit making sports clubs, as well as commercial or professional clubs that met other tests of being a small business, as proposed in the Green Paper. We are currently considering responses to the Green Paper and will announce the final details of the proposed scheme in a White Paper later this year.

  All non-profit making sports clubs are currently eligible for 100 per cent. discretionary relief and would continue to be so under the Green Paper proposals, both to top up any mandatory relief and for those clubs over the size threshold for mandatory relief. Information on the number of voluntary sports clubs eligible for discretionary relief is not held centrally.
  257W
  To give 50 per cent. mandatory relief to all 16,000 sports properties in England would cost around £35 million in 2000–01. This includes commercial and professional bodies as well as voluntary clubs, as information on voluntary clubs is not available separately. This figure does not take account of any discretionary relief which is already given to non-profit making sports clubs, nor of any transitional or other reliefs which may apply to any of these properties.

  English local authorities estimate the total cost of discretionary rate relief to all non-profit making bodies at £24.5 million in 2000–01. This includes relief for non-profit making sports clubs as well as other philanthropic, educational, social, scientific, literary or fine arts bodies, excluding those which are charities. Information on how much of this was for voluntary sports clubs and the level of relief given to each club is not recorded centrally. Information is not readily available for 1998–99.

  Mr. Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the results of the Regulatory Impact Assessment on the administrative burden on voluntary sports clubs through the Green Paper on Local Government Finance. [147893]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 31 January 2001]: We will publish the Regulatory Impact Assessment of the proposals for rate relief for small businesses and other non-profit making bodies including sports clubs in due course. If the relief were to apply to all non-profit making bodies within certain rateable value thresholds, as we currently propose, we would expect the additional burden on clubs in making an application to be minimal, and no more than is currently involved in apply for discretionary rate relief.

  Council Housing (Voluntary Stock Transfers)
  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the council housing stock voluntary transfers which(a) have taken place since 1997 and (b) are proposed by local authority, indicating the number of housing units involved in each case; [148261]

  (2) how many voluntary transfers of council housing stock have taken place since 1997; and how many more are proposed; [148259]

  (3) how many housing units on average were involved in each voluntary transfer of council stock since 1997. [148260]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  There have been 75 large scale voluntary transfers of council housing stock since 1997 involving 259,659 dwellings; an average of 3,462 dwellings per transfer. A further 14 are pending involving 124,633 dwellings. The tables show transfers which(a) have taken place since 1997 and (b) are proposed indicating the number of dwellings involved in each case.
  258W

  All housing stock voluntary transfers which have taken place since 1997

  Local authority

  Number of dwellings

  Cotswold DC

  4,282

  South Staffs C

  5,273

  Lichfield DC

  4,921

  South Oxfordshire DC

  5,018

  Eden C

  1,510

  LB Lambeth—Moorlands

  515

  LB Bexley

  4,118

  LB Bexley

  4,097

  Congleton BC

  4,061

  Oldham BC—Limehurst

  642

  Liverpool CC—Windermere

  493

  LB Merton—Pollards Hill

  1,018

  LB Tower Hamlets—Poplar I

  1,852

  Kerrier DC

  3,732

  LB Hackney—Kingsmead

  951

  LB Brent—Fortunegate/Church End

  1,481

  Basildon DC—Vange

  708

  West Somerset DC

  1,869

  Stoke-on-Trent CC—Bentilee

  917

  Tewkesbury BC

  3,066

  Rother DC

  3,058

  LB Lambeth—Lansdowne Green

  681

  LB Tower Hamlets—Poplar II

  2,431

  Wirral—Leasowe

  1,082

  Tameside—West Ashton

  901

  West Devon BC

  1,446

  South Somerset DC

  8,883

  East Lindsey DC

  5,102

  Liverpool CC—Pinehurst

  646

  Manchester CC

  1,030

  LB Hackney—Morningside

  1,084

  South Hams DC

  3,096

  LB Hammersmith and Fulham—Old Oak

  668

  LB Hackney—Upper Clapton

  1,000

  Telford and Wrekin C

  13,081

  LB Enfield

  1,194

  Worthing BC

  2,525

  Bath and North East Somerset C

  9,887

  Manchester CC—East Wythenshawe

  6,667

  LB Greenwich—Charlton Triangle

  1,280

  LB Hackney—Haggerston

  661

  Allerdale BC

  3,704

  Allerdale BC—Salterbeck

  727

  Preston BC—Avenham

  1,121

  LB Lambeth—Central Stockwell

  2,358

  Birmingham CC—Central areas

  2,813

  LB Islington—Barnsbury

  647

  LB Islington—10 estates

  739

  Liverpool CC—Speke Garston

  4,382

  West Lindsey DC

  3,929

  LB Lambeth—St. Martins

  1,033

  Boston BC

  4,871

  Tynedale DC

  3,564

  Newcastle Under Lyme BC

  9,887

  Restormel BC

  3,577

  Manchester CC—Colshaw Farm

  600

  North Devon DC

  3,293

  LB Hackney—Stamford Hill

  1,095

  LB Hackney—Pembury Estate

  1,241

  Burnley

  5,330

  Manchester CC—Sale Estate

  1,655

  Weymouth and Portland

  3,105

  Huntingdon

  6,650

  Elmbridge

  4,894

  Test Valley

  5,495

  Wyre Forest DC

  6,056

  Manchester CC—Whitefield Estate

  1,033

  LB Tower Hamlets—THCH

  1,551

  Tameside

  8,532

  MBC

  7,934

  Richmond

  7,139

  Coventry

  20,125

  259W

  All housing stock voluntary transfers which have taken place since 1997

  Local authority

  Number of dwellings

  Fylde

  1,905

  Chester

  7,096

  Horsham

  4,650

  Number of authorities

  259,659

  Average

  3,462

  Proposed voluntary transfers of council housing stock

  Local authority

  Number of dwellings

  East Northants

  3,540

  Blackburn and Darwen

  10,218

  Manchester CC—Knutsford estates

  464

  Manchester CC—Handforth estates

  664

  Chichester

  5,510

  West Oxfordshire

  3,884

  Mendip

  4,544

  Torbay

  2,975

  West Wiltshire

  3,965

  Staff Moorlands

  3,247

  East Staffordshire

  5,859

  Walsall

  28,195

  Calderdale MBC

  13,066

  Sunderland

  38,502

  Total

  124,633

  Average

  8,902

  Planning Appeals
  Mr. David Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of planning appeals in 2000 were determined by(a) a written inquiry, (b) a full inquiry lasting less than two days and (c) a full inquiry lasting more than two days; and what the average cost of an inquiry was in each category. [147441]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  Figures are listed for the three appeals procedures. Hearings do not normally take longer than one day.

  Year 2000

  Total number

  Percentage of number decided

  Planning appeals1 received

  14,962

  —

  Planning appeals decided

  12,602

  —

  by written representations

  9,197

  73

  by hearings

  2,573

  20

  by inquiries (2 days or less)

  626

  5

  by inquiries (more than 2 days)

  206

  2

  1Appeals under s.78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

  The following unit costs have been calculated by the Planning Inspectorate in each category for the financial year ending 31 March 2000. (Figures for the calendar year 2000 are not readily available).

  £

  Planning appeals determined by

  Average unit cost

  Written representations

  1,047

  Hearing

  2,135

  Inquiry

  5,618

  Water and Recreation Sport
  Ms Rosie Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to award a research contract about access to water for sport and recreation. [148635]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  We are today letting a contract to a consortium led by the University of Brighton to establish the facts about participation. The research will also provide information about availability of water space, the effectiveness of current arrangements in meeting the demand for different types of water-based sport and recreation and the scale and nature of potential demand.

  Lorries
  Mr. Ian Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when 44-tonne lorries will be allowed to operate generally in Great Britain. [148632]

  Mr. Hill
  The necessary Regulations (Statutory Instrument SI 2000 No. 3224—The Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) (Amendment) Regulations 2000)—will come into force on 1 February. The regulations will allow certain types of lorry to operate at up to 44-tonnes maximum weight in Great Britain. The lorries in question must have six axles, a maximum axle weight of 10.5 tonnes and Euro 2 low emission engines. These vehicles will result in a considerable saving in lorry miles where heavy goods are being carried and will be no bigger, and cause less road wear, than existing 40-tonne, 5 axle lorries.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Moluccas
  Mr. Sarwar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's response to continuing unrest in the Moluccas. [147689]

  Mr. Battle
  We continue to urge the Indonesian Government to exercise tolerance and restraint and remind them of their responsibility to maintain law and order and take immediate steps to bring the perpetrators of the violence to justice. I did so most recently with Foreign Minister Shihab on 12 December.

  Our Ambassador to Indonesia has just returned from a visit to the province and the Indonesian Minister for Settlement is arranging a further visit to Maluku with a group of diplomats next month. We will continue to work with the Indonesian authorities and UNDP to promote reconciliation, begin wider construction work and to offer practical assistance where appropriate.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed Gibraltar with the Spanish Government; and what specific issues were considered. [147840]

  Mr. Vaz
  The Secretary of State met the Spanish Foreign Minister, Sr Pique, in London on 24 January. They considered a wide range of EU and international
  261W
  issues, as well as a number of Gibraltar related questions, including HMS Tireless, border delays, telephone numbers, the Brussels Process, aviation and the European Parliament franchise.

  Nice Treaty
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many letters and postcards addressed to Her Majesty the Queen on the subject of the Nice Treaty have been passed on to him. [148005]

  Mr. Vaz
  About 850, as of 30 January.

  Entry Clearance System
  Laura Moffatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to visit India to examine the functioning of the entry clearance system. [148634]

  Mr. Vaz
  I plan to visit India and Bangladesh to inaugurate our new Visa Information Posts later this year.

  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit Africa to examine the functioning of the entry clearance system. [148714]

  Mr. Vaz
  I plan to visit Entry Clearance Posts in Africa later on this month.

  Iraq
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his oral answer of 23 January 2000,Official Report, column 790, what the response was of the Turkish Ambassador concerning the bombing of a cattle feed factory at Samarwa and the killing of Iraqi cowherds. [148151]

  Mr. Vaz
  I plan to speak to the Turkish Ambassador today. I will then be in touch with my hon. Friend to arrange a meeting to discuss these matters.

DEFENCE

  HMS Tireless
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where HMS Tireless is to be repaired. [148207]

  Mr. Spellar
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Mr. Mackinlay) on 29 January 2001,Official Report, column 64W.

  Services Training
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent in the last 12 months for training by the(a) Royal Navy, (b) Royal Marines, (c) Army and (d) RAF in the United Kingdom; and what proportion of these totals are spent in Scotland. [147014]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 25 January 2001]: Our latest best estimates for the amounts spent on individual training by the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and RAF in the last 12 months are respectively: £233 million, £39 million, £422 million and £446 million. These figures
  262W
  are approximate and exclude the costs of front-line collective training which are difficult to separate from normal day-to-day operations.

  Of the figures above, £869 million was spent by the Services' Training Agencies. It is estimated that just over 1 per cent. of this sum was spent in Scotland. The balance of £291 million, which represents the cost of training conducted outside the Services' Training Agencies, is not broken down on a regional basis, and figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Operation Palliser
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the conclusions and recommendations were of the investigation into specific medical problems arising from Operation Palliser announced by his Department on 15 June 2000; if he will publish the report; and if he will make a statement. [147585]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 29 January 2001]: I will write to the hon. Member and enclose a copy of the press release which was issued by the Ministry of Defence on 25 July 2000. This gave a comprehensive report of the conclusions and recommendations of the three Service Boards of Inquiry.

  A background paper summarising the findings of the Service Boards of Inquiry, which was sent to the House of Commons Defence Committee on the same day, is being placed in the Library of the House.

  Saturn Electronic Protection Measure
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the new advanced electronic countermeasures Saturn System will be in service; what the service life of the system is; if it is compatible with all the NATO nations aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [148103]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Saturn Electronic Protection Measure (EPM) is the latest in the EPM generation and is already in service. It was introduced to meet NATO Stanag (Standardisation Agreement) requirements and will be in service for the foreseeable future. It is compatible with other NATO Saturn capable platforms.

  Depleted Uranium
  Mr. Alasdair Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many depleted uranium shells have been fired by United Kingdom armed forces in conflict, broken down by campaign. [148160]

  Mr. Spellar
  United Kingdom armed forces have used depleted uranium (DU) rounds in conflict only during Operation Granby in the Gulf in 1991. The Ministry of Defence's assessment is that UK tanks used fewer than one hundred 120 mm rounds against Iraq's military forces during hostilities (this equates to less than one metric tonne of DU).

  Sierra Leone
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of the liability for compensation arising from personal injury by armed forces personnel
  263W
  who have suffered medical problems as a result of deployment to Sierra Leone; and if he will make a statement. [148146]

  Dr. Moonie
  It would be inappropriate to disclose information about my Department's estimated financial liability while claims for compensation remain to be settled. I am withholding the information requested under exemption 4 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. However, I can say that 15 claims for compensation have been received from members of HM forces who contracted malaria as a result of deployment to Sierra Leone. In only one of these cases does my Department accept that the claim is valid.

HEALTH

  BSE
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if post mortem tests for BSE carried out in EU countries are carried out before the carcase is dressed. [141720]

  Ms Stuart
  [holding answer 11 December 2000]: No. The test sample is taken after the head has been removed and the carcase will be dressed before the test is carried out. It will be detained until the test result is known.

  Health Service Employees (East Somerset)
  Paddy Ashdown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) nurses and (b) doctors were employed by (i) East Somerset NHS Trust and (ii) Taunton NHS Trust for each year since 1990–91. [144599]

  Ms Stuart
  [holding answer 18 January 2001]: The latest information available is shown in the table.

  National Health Service Hospital and Community Health Services: All doctors and all nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff excluding learners within East Somerset NHS Trust and Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust as at 30 September for each year

  Whole-time equivalents

  East Somerset NHS Trust

  Taunton NHS Trust

  Nurses

  Doctors1

  Nurses

  Doctors1

  1991

  950

  70

  1,380

  130

  1992

  640

  90

  1,430

  140

  1993

  630

  80

  1,510

  150

  1994

  660

  80

  1,560

  170

  1995

  700

  90

  1,330

  190

  1996

  580

  80

  1,220

  190

  1997

  580

  110

  1,130

  210

  1998

  600

  110

  1,080

  230

  1999

  600

  120

  1,140

  230

  1Data relating to the years prior to 1995 should be handled with caution owing to potential understatements of the number of staff returned by the organisation.

  Notes:

  Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

  Owing to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts.

  Figures exclude learners and agency staff.

  A new classification of the non-medical workforce was introduced in 1995. Information based on this classification is not directly comparable with earlier years.

  Trusts were first formed in 1991. Prior to this, data to this level were not available.

  Source:

  Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

  Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census

  Fluoride
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the release of fluoride into a patient's mouth through the use of slow-release fluoride dressings during dental treatment requires the prior consent of the patient. [147417]

  Mr. Hutton
  For children and adults the consent required from the patient or from a person with parental responsibility would be the same as that for any other dental treatment.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the use by NHS dentists of products intended to be placed in the mouths of patients that release fluoride over an extended period of time. [147837]

  Mr. Hutton
  I understand these treatments are at an experimental stage. Full evaluation would be necessary before consideration could be given to making the products generally available to National Health Service patients.

  Medical School Training Places
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many extra medical school training places will be created in each year from 2001 to 2004 expressed in the same terms as the figures in the NHS Plan; and if he will make a statement. [147555]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 29 January 2001]: Following our announcement in 1998 that the annual intake of medical students in the United Kingdom should be increased by about 1,000, medical school intake in England is planned to rise as follows as set out in the table.

  Academic year

  Actual and planned increases in intakes

  1999–2000

  223

  2000–01

  289

  2001–02

  273

  2002–03

  273

  2003–04

  22

  Work on the planned further increase of up to 1,000 places set out in the NHS Plan is being taken forward by a Joint Implementation Group (JIG) which includes representatives of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Department and the General Medical Council. The joint implementation group will make recommendations to the HEFCE Board, which is responsible for the allocation of medical student places to higher education institutions (HEIs) in England.

  The JIG invited all HEIs in England to submit proposals to provide these extra places in September 2000. The group is currently considering the proposals that have been submitted and will make recommendations to the HEFCE in due course.

  Primary Care Trusts
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require newly established primary care trusts to use the current drug tariff arrangements. [R] [147757]
  265W
  Ms Stuart
  [holding answer 29 January 2001]: The prices set out in the Drug Tariff apply to prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacies, dispensing doctors and appliance contractors, or personally administered by general practitioners, under Part II of the National Health Service Act 1977. Primary care trusts are not responsible for administering these arrangements. They do not apply to any other arrangements which may be made locally for the supply of medicines, appliances or other items.

  Hospitals (Kent)
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average length of stay was for in-patients at(a) the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, (b) the Kent and Canterbury Hospital and (c) the QEQM Hospital, Margate, for each month from September to December 2000 inclusive. [148143]

  Ms Stuart
  The table shows the average duration of an in-patient spell by month of discharge at East Kent Hospitals National Health Service Trust for 1999–2000:

  Days

  Month of discharge

  Mean duration of in-patient stay

  April

  3

  May

  4

  June

  4

  July

  4

  August

  4

  September

  3

  October

  4

  November

  4

  December

  4

  January

  4

  February

  4

  March

  4

  Notes:

  1. 1999–2000 is the latest year for which data are available.

  2. Data are collected by provider, and are not available for individual hospitals within an NHS trust.

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics

  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bedded patients there were in accident and emergency departments awaiting operations on Monday 29 January in(a) the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, (b) the Kent and Canterbury Hospital and (c) the QEQM Hospital, Margate. [148144]

  Ms Stuart
  The information requested is not held centrally but should be available from the Chair of the East Kent Hospitals National Health Service Trust.

  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average mileage was travelled on National Health Service business by(a) hospital consultants and doctors and (b) hospital and health service managers in the area covered by East Kent Hospitals Trust (i) in 1997 and (ii) 2000. [148111]

  Ms Stuart
  The Department does not hold the information requested centrally.

  Mental Health Services Spending
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expenditure on mental health services as a proportion of total NHS spending has been in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement. [148082]
  266W
  Mr. Hutton
  The expenditure on mental health services as a proportion of total National Health Service spending for each year between 1988–89 to 1998–99 is given in the table. Information prior to this date is not available. While health and community health services spending on mental health as a proportion of total spend has remained fairly constant, expenditure by local councils on mental health as a proportion of their total spend on social services have risen steadily.

  year

  HCHS gross expenditure on mental health as a percentage of total expenditure

  1988–89

  12.5

  1989–90

  12.34

  1990–91

  12.07

  1991–92

  11.58

  1992–93

  11.56

  1993–94

  11.00

  1994–95

  10.69

  1995–96

  10.65

  1996–97

  12.21

  1997–98

  12.26

  1998–99

  12.08

  1. The NHS expenditure information is based on profiles of expenditure provided by trusts but scaled to match health authorities total expenditure. Thus, there is a possibility that the figures under-estimate the expenditure on services purchased by health authorities from the private and voluntary sectors. It may be the case that hospital expenditure is over-estimated and community expenditure is under-estimated. These figures exclude Health Authority overheads.

  2. In 1996–97 the data collection methodology changed. Therefore, figures from 1996–97 onwards are not directly comparable to figures up to and including 1995–96

  3. From 1994–95 costs include care management, which cannot be identified for earlier years.

  4. All figures exclude administrative and clerical overheads.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued but not dispensed in each year since 1995; and if he will make a statement. [148083]

  Ms Stuart
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Doctors (Retention)
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many physicians who qualified in each year since 1990 left the profession within five years of qualification; and if he will make a statement. [148088]

  Mr. Denham
  The information requested is not available centrally. However, the Department does commission occasional studies by the Medical Careers Research Group (MCRG) into the career patterns of newly qualified doctors from particular cohorts. The table shows the MCRG's estimates of the numbers of doctors not practising medicine, and the numbers not practising medicine in the United Kingdom, five years after qualification.

  The percentage of graduates not practising medicine after five years has remained quite low for all cohorts, with no clear trends over time. For the 1993 cohort, only 5.2 per cent. were not practising medicine by 1998. The

  267W
  trend in those not practising medicine in the UK after five years also remains stable, but the latest figure is lower than in previous years at 8.8 per cent.

  Patterns of retention—five years after qualification

  Not practisin medicine after 5 years

  Not practising medicine in the UK after 5 years

  Year of qualification

  Cohort size

  Number

  Percentage

  Number

  Percentage

  1974

  2,344

  131

  5.6

  339

  14.5

  1977

  3,130

  184

  5.9

  395

  12.6

  1983

  3,841

  204

  5.3

  357

  9.3

  1988

  3,731

  307

  8.2

  514

  13.8

  1993

  3,639

  188

  5.2

  322

  8.8

  Note:

  The figures exclude non-respondents who are registered as doctors in the UK

  Source:

  Medical Careers Research Group

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Chief Superintendents
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what considerations led him to reintroduce the rank of chief superintendent. [148170]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Criminal Justice and Police Bill currently before Parliament includes provision for the reintroduction of the rank of chief superintendent.

  My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary gave approval for the rank of chief superintendent to be reintroduced at the earliest legislative opportunity following consultation with police service interests and on the recommendation of the Police Advisory Board (PAB). The PAB view was that the abolition of the rank from 1 April 1995 had led to operational and management difficulties.

  Equal Treatment Directive (Women MPs)
  Dr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the implications for the ability of political parties to introduce measures aimed at increasing the representation of women in Parliament of the draft Equal Treatment Directive. [147698]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  This is a very complex issue which will involve analysis of relevant equality, employment and electoral law. The Home Office has recently agreed to lead this work, but it will involve cross-departmental consideration. I cannot yet estimate when conclusions will be reached.

  Animal Experiments
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the benefits are of the licensing procedures of substantial severity under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; if these are dependent upon the species of animals used; and if he will make a statement; [148106]

  (2) if he will exclude procedures involving (a) major surgery and (b) xenotransplantation under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 from the substantial severity category; and if he will make a statement; [148109]
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  (3) if he will ensure that the guidelines attached to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 stipulate that the Secretary of State will not license procedures likely to cause severe pain or distress that cannot be alleviated; and if he will make a statement. [148107]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The reply I gave the hon. Member on 8 November 2000,Official Report, column 253W, fully explained the criteria for placing scientific procedures on animals in the category of "substantial severity". That reply also made it clear that, for each licence application, the likely severity of the effects of a proposed procedure on the animals concerned are weighed against the benefits likely to accrue in medical research or other developments.

  This is an area of research where, rightly, enormous care is taken in granting licences. This means that licences can allow protected animals to suffer substantially severe effects only in the relatively few cases where it appears justified by the significant medical, pharmaceutical and other research gains to be made (66 of the 3,481 project licences in force at the end of 1999 had substantial severity conditions). Even then, as I made clear in the earlier reply, licence holders are required to minimise pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm, and to approach the prescribed severity limit only when absolutely necessary.

  The species of animals to be used may be a factor in determining severity limits, given the criteria for defining the categories and the known varying degrees of sentience between species. However, the judgment on severity limits is exercised with respect to the suffering to be encountered by a protected animal, rather than the species by itself.

  The Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, presented to Parliament in March 2000, states that the Secretary of State will not license any procedure likely to cause severe pain or distress which cannot be alleviated. This accords with section 10(2A) of the Act, which in turn refers to Council Directive No. 86/609/EEC, regarding use of anaesthesia and analgesics. As a further safeguard, all project licences contain a standard condition (number 6) requiring that only the minimum justifiable animal suffering is caused and personal licences all bear a standard condition (number 14) requiring the prompt and humane destruction of an animal that is in severe pain or distress that cannot be alleviated. In addition, Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectors have the power to require the prompt and humane killing of any protected animal they consider to be suffering excessively or unnecessarily.

  There are no current plans to exclude major surgery and xenotransplantation from the substantial severity category. Each application for a licence to undertake such procedures will continue to be assessed on a case by case basis.

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special police constables were serving in each of the Metropolitan policing divisions in December 2000. [147841]
  269W
  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Information is not collected centrally in the form requested. The information shown in the table has been provided by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis:

  Borough

  Number of special constables

  Barking and Dagenham

  20

  Barnet

  54

  Bexley

  25

  Brent

  22

  Bromley

  20

  Camden

  18

  Croydon

  34

  Ealing

  7

  Enfield

  36

  Greenwich

  16

  Hackney

  19

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  17

  Haringey

  19

  Harrow

  14

  Havering

  24

  Hillingdon

  26

  Hounslow

  22

  Islington

  38

  Kensington and Chelsea

  24

  Kingston

  19

  Lambeth

  29

  Lewisham

  14

  Merton

  15

  Newham

  26

  Redbridge

  22

  Richmond

  18

  Southwark

  18

  Sutton

  9

  Tower Hamlets

  17

  Waltham Forest

  16

  Wandsworth

  17

  Westminster

  52

  In addition to the officers serving in boroughs, 10 officers are attached to Territorial Policing, 14 officers are serving with the Marine Support Unit based at Wapping and eight officers are based at Heathrow. A further four officers are currently unallocated.

  In total there are 763 special constables serving in the Metropolitan police district.

  Drugs
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effect of smoking cannabis on the probability of taking other controlled drugs. [147949]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 31 October 2000,Official Report, column 430W.

  Asylum Seekers (Eastbourne)
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are housed in temporary accommodation in Eastbourne. [147798]

  Mrs. Roche
  As at 26 January 2000, there were five asylum seekers (including dependants) supported under the national asylum support scheme housed in temporary accommodation in Eastbourne.

  Extraditions (Switzerland)
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests by Her Majesty's Government to the Swiss authorities for the extradition of a Swiss national to the UK have been refused since 1981; and how many UK nationals have been extradited to Switzerland in the same period. [147951]

  Mr. Straw
  No central record is kept as to the nationality of a person whose extradition has been sought. Statistical information is only available since 1997. Since then, no United Kingdom extradition request to Switzerland has been refused; and 11 fugitives have been surrendered to Switzerland.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Learning and Skills Councils (Northumberland)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much is deducted from the budget of Northumberland county council for the funding of learning and skills councils; and what his estimate is of the amount of these funds which will be returned to Northumberland county council or otherwise disbursed within the county of Northumberland. [147161]

  Mr. Wicks
  There has been no deduction made from the budget of Northumberland county council: its Education SSA will rise by £4.75 million to £139.66 million, an increase of some 3.75 per cent. for 2001–02. From 2000–01 to 2001–02 total funding for education in Northumberland increased by 5.69 per cent. We estimate that Northumberland's share of direct grant in 2001–02 will be £5.09 million. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 29 January that he would be making available an extra £52 million in grant to authorities with lower than average increases in their Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) in 2001–02, and who face pressures from the change of responsibility for adult education to the Learning and Skills Council from April. Northumberland local education authority's share of the additional grant will be £1.35 million.

  The £142 million being allocated via the Learning and Skills Council means that all authorities have an increase of some 6 per cent. on what they are spending on Adult and Community Learning in 2000–01. For Northumberland, with current spend of £92,000, the provisional Learning and Skills Council allocation for 2001–02 is £98,000.

  Within the county of Northumberland, Wansbeck local authority has been allocated £3.1 million over the next three years from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund distributed by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

  New Deal
  Paddy Ashdown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will rank each parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom by the latest estimate of the number of people on the New Deal in each, indicating in each case the number of people on each of the four New Deal options; and if he will make a statement. [147315]
  271W
  Ms Jowell
  The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Nationally, New Deal has helped almost 270,000 young people into work. Research has shown that the New Deal benefits the labour market because young people leave it better equipped, motivated and more skilled.

  University Tuition Fees
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students make contributions towards their university education of(a) the full cost, (b) more than £500, and (c) less than £500; and how many make no such contribution. [147535]

  Mr. Wicks
  [holding answer 26 January 2001]: Undergraduates taking their first degree course are expected to make a contribution towards their higher education only if they can afford to do so. From 2001–02, we expect around 50 per cent. of students to make no contribution to tuition fees, as a result of the rise in the income threshold. Over 85 per cent. of mature students do not pay fees. No student pays the full amount of tuition as the maximum fee set amounts to 28 per cent. of the average cost of an undergraduate course.

  In 1998–99, the latest year for which data are available, there were 241,000 English and Welsh higher education students liable for fees under the Education (Student Support) Regulations. Of these, 45 per cent. were exempt from making a contribution towards fees, 20 per cent. of students made a partial contribution, and only 35 per cent. were expected to make a full contribution towards fees. Of the 20 per cent. of students making a partial contribution, it is estimated some 58 per cent. paid £500 or less and 42 per cent. paid more than £500.

  Computers for Teachers
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many Key Stage 3 maths teachers will qualify to apply for the second phase of the scheme for £500 subsidy for the purchase of a laptop or personal computer. [147552]

  Mr. Wills
  [holding answer 26 January 2001]: There is £12 million available for the second phase of the Computers for Teachers scheme. These funds will enable a maximum of 17,000 Key Stage 3 mathematics teachers, who register and meet the eligibility criteria, to receive a subsidy of up to £500.

  A further £3 million will be available for further education teachers, 4,000 of whom will benefit.

  Schoolchildren (Downham Market)
  Mrs. Shephard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the cost to public funds is of educating and transporting the 25 eligible pupils who were not found places at Downham Market High School in the present academic year. [147866]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 31 January 2001]: Of 26 pupils whose applications for admission to Downham Market High School were turned down in appeals between April 1999 and July 2000, seven have subsequently been admitted to the school. The alternative schools of 14 out of the remaining 19 pupils are known; there is no reason to suppose that the cost of educating
  272W
  them at other schools is significantly different, and no extra teaching costs are known to have been directly incurred as a result of their going to other schools.

  The education authority is providing support for transport for 12 out of the 26 pupils at a cost of £10,972 per annum. It is not possible to say how this compares with the costs which might have been incurred had all the pupils attended Downham Market High School, because that depends on individual pupil addresses and such hypothetical costs have not been calculated.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the situation regarding applications for admission to higher education institutions in autumn 2001. [147867]

  Mr. Wicks
  The total number of home and overseas students applying for university and college places this year has increased by 0.7 per cent. since the same time last year, according to the latest figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). There has been a 1.4 per cent. increase in the number of young (under 21) home applicants and an increase of 1.0 per cent. in the number of mature (21 and over) home applicants.

  Standards Fund
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what the final 2001–02 Standards Fund allocations made to local education authorities are by(a) constituency and (b) region; what the total local education authority contributions were to the Standards Fund for 2001–02, broken down by constituency; and what the total value of the Standards Fund was in 2000–01; [148059]

  (2) what total amount of (a) grants and (b) capital spending is incorporated in the Standards Fund for 2001–02; [148060]

  (3) what the percentage increase is in (a) local education authority contributions and (b) DfEE contributions to the Standards Fund for 2001–02. [148061]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 31 January 2001]: The table shows, by region, the amounts allocated so far through the Standards Fund to each local education authority for 2001–02, including the local education authorities' contributions. Allocations cannot be given at constituency level. Some allocations remain to be made as they depend on data not yet available. All allocations requiring a local authority contribution have been made. Of the £2,492 million so far allocated, £1,837 million is recurrent and £655 million is for capital spending.

  Following the announcement in the pre-Budget statement of an extra £143 million DfEE grant for capital spending this year, the Standards Fund for 2000–01 totals £2,488 million. For 2001–02 the Standards Fund will eventually total around £2,870 million. This is an increase in local education authority contributions of around £150 million (25 per cent.), and an increase of around £230 million (14 per cent.) in DfEE contributions.
  273W
  The figures include all grants paid through the Standards Fund, other than New Deal for Schools capital, which is paid through the Standards Fund, mechanism but is not considered part of the programme.

  Standards Fund 2001–02: Allocations to date for each local education authority by region

  £

  Local education authority

  Allocations

  Local education authority contribution

  Eastern Region

  Bedfordshire

  19,865,257

  6,284,844

  Buckinghamshire

  22,653,437

  7,034,749

  Cambridgeshire

  21,842,240

  6,622,654

  Essex

  50,566,352

  16,178,119

  Hertfordshire

  46,322,685

  14,956,779

  Luton

  11,538,920

  4,078,918

  Milton Keynes

  9,894,058

  3,230,331

  Norfolk

  34,076,755

  10,973,711

  Peterborough City

  9,140,823

  3,044,501

  Southend-on-Sea

  6,579,443

  2,117,434

  Suffolk

  27,483,022

  9,019,570

  Thurrock

  6,605,554

  2,160,417

  Eastern region total

  266,568,546

  85,702,027

  Inner London

  Camden

  11,968,744

  3,746,206

  Greenwich

  16,615,398

  4,522,537

  Hackney

  15,705,838

  5,183,890

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  8,681,248

  2,684,530

  Islington

  12,481,672

  3,858,322

  Kensington and Chelsea

  6,041,420

  1,887,280

  Lambeth

  15,049,994

  4,782,498

  Lewisham

  16,381,036

  4,812,873

  London, City of

  389,537

  114,653

  Southwark

  16,235,884

  4,872,125

  Tower Hamlets

  24,516,407

  7,963,509

  Wandsworth

  13,591,551

  4,026,035

  Westminster, City of

  9,582,082

  3,136,499

  Inner London total

  167,240,811

  51,590,958

  Outer London

  Barking and Dagenham

  10,721,024

  2,793,094

  Barnet

  12,772,739

  4,553,502

  Bexley

  9,267,325

  3,053,043

  Brent

  17,005,997

  4,979,801

  Bromley

  10,873,278

  3,427,831

  Croydon

  14,376,020

  5,225,834

  Ealing

  18,312,990

  5,723,659

  Enfield

  14,055,449

  4,767,387

  Haringey

  16,862,995

  5,217,283

  Harrow

  8,005,251

  2,732,688

  Havering

  9,279,140

  2,857,777

  Hillingdon

  10,810,174

  3,606,122

  Hounslow

  11,845,191

  4,104,795

  Kingston upon Thames

  5,860,486

  1,723,197

  Merton

  7,625,813

  2,500,670

  Newham

  20,117,146

  5,632,629

  Redbridge

  12,081,952

  4,174,317

  Richmond upon Thames,

  5,636,277

  1,678,965

  Sutton

  7,090,164

  2,266,843

  Waltham Forest

  15,803,156

  4,741,728

  Outer London total

  238,402,567

  75,761,165

  274W

  Standards Fund 2001–02: Allocations to date for each local education authority by region

  £

  Local education authority

  Allocations

  Local education authority contribution

  Midlands East

  Derby City

  12,568,987

  4,171,796

  Derbyshire

  34,423,706

  10,217,337

  Leicester City

  20,929,762

  5,891,401

  Leicestershire

  24,278,965

  7,413,528

  Lincolnshire

  29,137,603

  9,464,423

  Northamptonshire

  29,661,718

  9,400,560

  Nottingham City

  20,159,924

  5,526,930

  Nottinghamshire

  33,304,946

  9,978,736

  Rutland

  1,902,246

  603,762

  Midlands East total

  206,367,857

  62,668,473

  Midlands West

  Birmingham

  71,004,673

  20,296,512

  Coventry

  17,321,818

  5,996,634

  Dudley

  14,954,457

  5,262,209

  Herefordshire

  7,559,763

  2,378,725

  Sandwell

  17,240,352

  5,622,825

  Shropshire

  11,853,031

  3,604,954

  Solihull

  10,081,181

  2,767,660

  Staffordshire

  35,389,029

  10,742,750

  Stoke on Trent

  17,278,785

  4,264,493

  Telford and The Wrekin

  9,504,410

  3,171,341

  Walsall

  15,987,739

  5,514,368

  Warwickshire

  22,915,856

  7,177,840

  Wolverhampton

  15,807,504

  5,667,597

  Worcestershire

  22,268,304

  7,089,089

  Midlands West total

  289,103,901

  89,556,998

  North West

  Blackburn with Darwen

  10,317,071

  3,666,886

  Blackpool

  5,959,569

  1,914,479

  Bolton

  14,524,060

  4,783,822

  Bury

  8,744,378

  2,613,302

  Cheshire

  28,723,325

  8,639,244

  Cumbria

  24,032,252

  7,815,081

  Halton

  10,003,179

  2,249,305

  Knowsley

  12,642,286

  3,398,524

  Lancashire

  56,096,728

  18,497,946

  Liverpool

  31,129,673

  8,512,961

  Manchester

  33,828,214

  9,182,076

  Oldham

  14,403,492

  5,031,845

  Rochdale

  16,370,233

  4,178,281

  Salford

  15,632,513

  3,904,388

  Sefton

  14,829,390

  4,007,497

  St. Helens

  12,283,283

  2,765,161

  Stockport

  12,009,873

  3,567,250

  Tameside

  11,523,479

  3,787,397

  Trafford

  9,897,914

  3,230,736

  Warrington

  8,142,929

  2,582,078

  Wigan

  13,386,486

  4,228,312

  Wirral

  20,428,834

  5,091,949

  North West total

  384,909,163

  113,648,520

  Northern

  Darlington

  5,103,939

  1,583,029

  Durham

  26,306,858

  8,122,520

  Gateshead

  13,549,086

  3,007,975

  Hartlepool

  8,354,906

  1,765,255

  Middlesbrough

  10,418,810

  2,894,454

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  15,748,520

  4,425,445

  North Tyneside

  11,581,629

  2,929,964

  Northumberland

  15,982,608

  5,066,476

  Redcar and Cleveland

  9,692,454

  2,366,599

  275W

  Standards Fund 2001–02: Allocations to date for each local education authority by region

  £

  Local education authority

  Allocations

  Local education authority contribution

  South Tyneside

  10,857,578

  2,647,610

  Stockton on Tees

  12,815,327

  2,918,073

  Sunderland

  18,560,141

  4,632,967

  Northern total

  158,971,854

  42,360,367

  South East

  Bracknell Forest

  4,163,416

  1,241,993

  Brighton and Hove

  9,100,742

  2,606,128

  East Sussex

  17,940,377

  5,639,959

  Hampshire

  45,513,601

  13,717,212

  Isle of Wight

  6,388,240

  1,973,376

  Kent

  55,612,193

  18,449,586

  Medway

  11,915,896

  3,893,882

  Oxfordshire

  24,428,425

  7,918,965

  Portsmouth

  7,810,967

  2,541,028

  Reading

  6,154,042

  1,832,982

  Slough

  6,715,088

  2,430,429

  Southampton

  9,583,707

  3,264,316

  Surrey

  33,722,008

  10,841,519

  West Berkshire

  6,808,821

  2,058,372

  West Sussex

  25,503,577

  8,067,082

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  5,865,547

  1,798,962

  Wokingham

  6,270,249

  1,847,611

  South East total

  283,496,895

  90,123,402

  South West

  Bath and North East Somerset

  7,060,120

  2,173,004

  Bournemouth

  4,918,049

  1,547,003

  Bristol, City of

  20,761,673

  5,206,075

  Cornwall

  21,242,882

  6,654,170

  Devon

  28,027,277

  8,657,312

  Dorset

  15,120,702

  4,583,271

  Gloucestershire

  24,719,540

  7,554,282

  Isles of Scilly

  464,173

  129,627

  North Somerset

  7,153,866

  2,165,746

  Plymouth

  10,685,961

  3,354,221

  Poole

  4,793,317

  1,502,079

  Somerset

  21,396,706

  6,724,594

  South Gloucestershire

  11,025,123

  3,196,538

  Swindon

  8,825,101

  2,798,599

  Torbay

  4,871,802

  1,559,138

  Wiltshire

  19,126,190

  5,869,802

  South West total

  210,192,482

  63,675,462

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  Barnsley

  10,753,091

  3,446,744

  Bradford

  41,289,876

  11,882,707

  Calderdale

  10,495,877

  3,549,883

  Doncaster

  15,455,746

  4,723,231

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  14,663,121

  4,219,414

  Kingston upon Hull, City of

  17,189,914

  4,153,997

  Kirklees

  22,377,123

  7,583,934

  Leeds

  41,331,442

  10,380,803

  North East Lincolnshire

  8,740,642

  2,673,257

  North Lincolnshire

  8,246,663

  2,299,437

  North Yorkshire

  26,777,441

  8,279,660

  Rotherham

  18,127,487

  4,369,488

  Sheffield

  28,200,024

  7,435,795

  Wakefield

  16,356,738

  4,788,380

  York, City of

  7,447,298

  2,024,698

  Yorkshire and Humberside total

  287,452,815

  81,811,428

  England total

  2,492,706,891

  756,898,799

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Egypt
  Mr. Blunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her proposed budget is for(a) bilateral development assistance and (b) development assistance through the EU to Egypt in the financial years (i) 2001–02 and (ii) 2002–03. [147886]

  Mr. Mullin
  (a) Discussions on a new Aid Framework for the next three years, in the light of the spending review, have yet to be concluded. The current figure for bilateral development assistance to Egypt in 2001–02 is £4.6 million.

  (b) The EC provides a significant amount of development assistance to Egypt mainly through its Mediterranean Assistance (MEDA) programme. The latest MEDA regulation for 2000–06 was agreed last year but the country allocations for 2001–02 and 2002–03 have yet to be decided. The UK's contribution to the new MEDA programme is estimated to be about 19 per cent.

  El Salvador
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the UK Government will send to El Salvador following the recent earthquake; and how this money will be spent. [147371]

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps will be taken to provide additional foreign aid to El Salvador following the recent earthquake in that region; and if she will make a statement. [147582]

  Mr. Mullin
  The Department for International Development has contributed some £1.3 million for the purchase and distribution of vital emergency shelter, water and sanitation and medical supplies to those affected by the earthquake in El Salvador. This support is being channelled through the UN, Red Cross and a number of NGOs.

  The table summarises the funding allocation and the type of assistance provided.

  Organisation

  Type of assistance

  Amount (£)

  UNOCHA

  Co-ordination

  35,000

  PAHO

  Health

  300,000

  IFRC

  Shelter, food, health, water and sanitation

  100,000

  Oxfam

  Water and sanitation

  300,000

  Care

  IDP support

  138,900

  Christian Aid

  Emergency shelter

  100,000

  Plan International

  IDP support

  50,000

  Save the Children UK

  Public health, non-food, education

  200,000

  SCIAF

  Emergency shelter

  100,000

  Total

  1,323,900

  HIV AIDS (South Africa)
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of state for International Development what(a) financial, (b) practical

  277W
  and (c) medical assistance she has given to the South African Government in relation to AIDS, since May 1997. [147882]

  Mr. Mullin
  Since May 1997 the Department for International Development has committed approximately £11 million in support of initiatives to help the South African Government in their efforts to manage the HIV epidemic.

  Practical support with this funding has included condom procurement and supply, assistance to the 1National AIDS/STD Control Programme, and National TB Control Programme and initiatives to provide improved sexual health services particularly among adolescents and mineworkers.

  Direct medical assistance has been limited as South Africa has, in general, the necessary skills to tackle the epidemic. However support to the National AIDS/STD Control Programme includes technical assistance from a specialist in genito-urinary medicine.

  Depleted Uranium
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 15 January 2001,Official Report, column 6W, if she will place in the Library a copy of the KFOR information pack on depleted uranium provided to UNMACC. [147414]

  Mr. Mullin
  Yes.

  Romania
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the value was of grants provided by her Department to United Kingdom non-governmental organisations in Romania in each year since 1996–97. [147209]

  Mr. Mullin
  The value of grants provided by the Department for International Development to United Kingdom non-governmental organisations in Romania in each year since 1996–97 is:

  £

  1996–97

  179,130

  1997–98

  120,806

  1998–99

  185,346

  1999–2000

  224,792

  Bonded Labour (Indian Sub-continent)
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects her Department is supporting in(a) India, (b) Pakistan and (c) Nepal to help end the practice of bonded labour in these countries. [147583]

  Mr. Mullin
  The Department for International Development is committed to helping to eliminate all abusive labour practices. These include bonded labour, forced labour and child labour. These abusive practices persist where poverty denies people their rights and a decent livelihood. All our programmes are intended to 278W
  contribute to improving the livelihoods of poor people and helping them realise their rights. We also have projects targeted at particular abusive practices.

  In India we are supporting a programme to eliminate child labour, including bonded child labour. Our support to primary education addresses the issue of bonded child labour. The Rural Livelihood Project seeks to enhance livelihoods and reduce indebtedness.

  In Pakistan we are working with the Asian Development bank on rural development strategies that include tackling bonded labour. We have commissioned research on access to land for poor people. We continue to support the phasing out of child labour from the football stitching industry.

  In Nepal we are supporting a multi-agency programme to ensure food security for the freed Kamaiya (bonded labourers). We also support Action Aid's Poverty Reduction Project which has been working with bonded labourers in the Kailali district, to help them achieve secure livelihoods.

  We are supporting Anti-Slavery International to raise awareness of the issue and stimulate action by non-governmental organisation, trade unions, business and Government in all three countries.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Museum Displays (Radioactive Minerals)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance he has issued to museums displaying radioactive minerals. [147619]

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  My Department has issued no such guidance. Organisations, including museums, which work with materials which emit ionising radiation are subject to the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999. As part of this, they may be required to appoint a Radiation Protection Adviser to provide advice and guidance in such matters.

  Hinduja Brothers
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions since he became Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport he has met(a) Mr. Srichand Hinduja and (b) Mr. Gopichand Hinduja; and what was discussed. [147999]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 30 January 2001]: I met Mr. Srichand Hinduja and Mr. Gopichand Hinduja on 25 February 2000 to discuss their Foundation's Pledge for the Millennium which I had signed and which sought to promote tolerance and understanding between people of different faiths as a means of increasing economic prosperity and ending conflict.

  They also asked about the future of the Faith Zone after the closure of the Dome and I informed them that this was a matter for the New Millennium Experience Company.

  I have also met them once, unofficially, at a social function.

  National Lottery
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funds are available to the National Lottery Commission for the purposes of meeting obligations to pay compensation to a third party; and if he will make a statement. [148184]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  Under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 (as amended), such sums as are necessary to defray any expenditure of the Commission shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament. The Act (as amended) also provides for the Consolidated Fund to be reimbursed from the National Lottery Distribution Fund for the Commission's expenditure, taking into account receipts from the Lottery operator's licence fees.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received from the People's Lottery consortium regarding the costs of bidding for the National Lottery contract; and if he will make a statement. [148182]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  None.

  Free Television Licences
  Mr. John Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many families in Hornchurch will benefit from the introduction of free television licences for households with a member aged 75 years or over. [148316]

  Janet Anderson
  TV Licensing, which administers this concession for the BBC as Licensing Authority, is not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, estimates based on the 1991 Census indicate that there were approximately 4,500 people aged 75 or over in the Hornchurch constituency.

TREASURY

  Working Families Tax Credit
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what period an employer is required to continue making payments of Working Families Tax Credit to a person(a) outside the UK and (b) taking extended unpaid leave. [147229]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 25 January 2001]: Guidance on when an employer should stop paying tax credit payments is included in the booklet "WFTC/EG—An employer's guide to tax credits" which is routinely issued by the Inland Revenue to employers. Employers are normally required to pay tax credits until the date the Inland Revenue has told them to stop, unless the employee leaves the employment before that date. This applies provided the employer's payroll arrangements remain in the UK. The employer can stop paying tax credits to an employee as soon as there is a pay period in which no other payroll payments are due to that employee. The Inland Revenue then pays the employee direct for the rest of the award period.

  Road User Charge (Foreign Lorries)
  Mr. Syms
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Government plan to introduce their proposal for a Britdisk vignette on foreign road hauliers; and if he will make a statement. [147145]

  Mr. Timms
  [holding answer 25 January 2001]: The Chancellor proposed in the pre-Budget report to introduce a 'vignette' or 'road user charge' for foreign lorries. The proposal, including its practical implementation, is now being developed further.

  Red Diesel
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the increase in revenue to the Exchequer were all users of red diesel to be charged at the duty rate charged on(a) standard diesel and (b) ultra low sulphur diesel. [148149]

  Mr. Timms
  Rebated gas oil, also known as red diesel, is liable for duty at the rate of 3.13 pence per litre and is used in excepted vehicles and as a heating and industrial fuel. Assuming the current level of use, raising the rate of duty on gas oil to that applying to(a) standard diesel and (b) ultra low sulphur diesel would raise additional revenues of £3.5 billion and £3.3 billion respectively. In practice, the additional revenue would be significantly less than this because a fifteenfold increase in the duty rate would reduce the demand for rebated gas oil.

  Inland Revenue
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 18 January 2001,Official Report, column 304W, when he (a) received and (b) approved the Inland Revenue Commissioner's report. [147785]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Inland Revenue annual report was published on 26 January.

  I received and approved it prior to publication.

  Widow's Bereavement Allowance (Crossland Case)
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what grounds the Inland Revenue settled the Crossland case regarding the exclusion of widowers from receiving widow's bereavement allowance; and what legal advice it received regarding a possible outcome if the allowance was challenged under the European Convention on Human Rights. [148208]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Government made a friendly settlement with Mr. Crossland, which was published by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. It would not be appropriate to disclose any legal advice the Government received, in accordance with exemption 4 (law enforcement and legal proceedings) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Tonnage Tax
  Mr. Blizzard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what specific commitment he has made to review the tonnage tax arrangement within a particular time period. [148577]
  281W
  Dawn Primarolo
  The Government keep all taxes under review, and changes are considered as part of the Budget process.

PRIME MINISTER

  Hinduja Brothers
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the terms of reference of the inquiry by Sir Anthony Hammond QC; and if he will make a statement on the scope of the inquiry. [148148]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to his hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) on 29 January 2001,Official Report, column 70W, and to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) and the hon. Members for Christchurch (Mr. Chope) and for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames) on 30 January 2001, Official Report, columns 166–68W.

  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will give the dates and context of discussions that he has personally had with the right hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson), since May 1997, to discuss matters relating to the Hinduja brothers. [148112]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his right hon. Friend the Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) on 31 January 2001,Official Report, column 224W.

  Mr. DuncanSmith
  To ask the Prime Minister which Ministers and officials of Her Majesty's Government have communicated with other Ministers and officials concerning the Hinduja brothers' application for citizenship. [148262]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) and the hon. Members for Christchurch (Mr. Chope) and for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames) on 30 January 2001,Official Report, columns 166–68W.

  Stem Cell Research
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) on how many occasions he has met Sir Chris Evans since May 1997; [146861]

  (2) what advice he has received from Sir Chris Evans concerning stem cell techniques, cloning and biotechnology. [146862]

  The Prime Minister
  I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals. As with previous Administrations, it is not my practice to provide details of all such meetings.
  282W
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons he has not met religious leaders to discuss their objections to human cloning and the use of embryonic stem cells. [146864]

  The Prime Minister
  I was unable to agree a meeting owing to existing diary commitments. However, I do meet religious leaders regularly and will continue to do so.

  The Government have listened very carefully to representations made on the recommendations of the Donaldson Report and the regulations and respect the views on both sides of the debate of many people on these sensitive issues.

  NHS
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Prime Minister what personal responsibility he has for the NHS. [146952]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made to the House on 27 July 2000,Official Report, columns 1256–61, in which I set out plans to bring about the most fundamental and far-reaching reforms the National Health Service has seen since its establishment in 1948; and to create a service fit for the 21st century.

CABINET OFFICE

  Civil Service Pension Scheme
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what is the state's total liability at 2001 prices to pay civil service pensions, assuming all existing contributors retire and that all pensioners die at the age projected by the scheme's actuaries. [148008]

  Marjorie Mowlam
  The latest assessment of the capitalised value of liability to pay civil service pensions was undertaken by the Government Actuary's Department in 2000. This showed total liabilities of £54.4 billion for benefits accrued in respect of employment (or further employment) prior to 1 April 1999, broken down as follows:

  Value of liabilities

  £ billion

  Current pensions and associated contingent pensions

  25.2

  Deferred pensions, including contingent pensions for those no longer contributing

  7.3

  Accrued benefits for existing contributors

  21.9

  Total

  54.4

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

  Serious Fraud Office
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Solicitor-General what recent discussions the Director of the Serious Fraud Office has had with his European Union counterparts; and if he will make a statement. [146809]
  283W
  The Solicitor-General
  The Director of the Serious Fraud Office, Mrs. Rosalind Wright, addressed the Cambridge Symposium on Economic Crime in September 2000. The Director ensures that the SFO makes the fullest possible contribution to the continuous discussions with her European colleagues on improving the response to fraud and mutual legal assistance within the European Union.

  The Director and her staff are also in regular contact with member states' specialist financial crime and fraud investigators, magistrates and prosecutors in connection with casework.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Dobbin
  To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in funding recently announced for the CPS on the morale of the service. [146811]

  The Solicitor-General
  As some Members of this House will know, the CPS has secured additional funding for next year of £30.4 million from the new criminal justice reserve. This is in addition to the extra resources allocated to the CPS from the 2000 spending review announced last July. As a result, the CPS's budget next year will be 23 per cent. higher in real terms than now.

  Through the CPS's consultation machinery and my own frequent visits to the areas, I know that news of the additional funds has been welcomed by staff. This is hardly surprising. A staff survey, published last May, showed that securing adequate funding and improving resource allocation were among the key development priorities staff identified to improve morale within the service. When the next survey is undertaken I have no doubt that it will show a significant improvement in morale.

  With the new funding secured, the CPS has launched a national recruitment campaign for lawyers and intends to follow this with a similar campaign for caseworkers shortly. Additional staff are being recruited across the service, targeted at those areas with the greatest need.

  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Solicitor-General how many times in the last 12 months he has initiated a prosecution in a case which the CPS had previously decided not to pursue. [146812]

  The Solicitor-General
  The relationship between the Attorney-General and the Director of Public Prosecutions is one of superintendence and it is in the context of those arrangements that the accountability of the Crown Prosecution Service for individual case decisions is secured.

  If the Crown Prosecution Service tells a suspect or defendant that there will not be a prosecution, the Code for Crown Prosecutors provides that that is normally the
  284W
  end of the matter. There are special reasons why a case might be re-started by the CPS, especially if it is serious: for example, where initially there was insufficient evidence to proceed but further significant evidence comes to light; or in rare cases where a decision not to prosecute was clearly wrong and ought not to stand. The CPS does not keep central records of re-instituted cases.

  Crime Victims
  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the Solicitor-General if he will make a statement on the level of victim satisfaction as set out in the recent British crime survey. [146813]

  The Solicitor-General
  Public confidence in the criminal justice system is vital if the system is to operate effectively. The 2000 British Crime Survey sought to measure the existing level of public confidence so as to provide a base line against which to set targets for improvement. The survey produced disappointing results: although the majority of people are confident that the criminal justice system respects the rights of defendants, only a quarter are confident the system meets the needs of victims of crime.

  The Government are committed to improving the level of service provided to victims and are confident that new legislation and new initiatives will do much to increase levels of victim satisfaction. These measures include provisions in the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 to assist vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, the introduction of the Witness Service at all criminal courts, the introduction of victim personal statements and the CPS initiative to inform victims of decisions relating to their case.

  Child Abuse
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases of child abuse were referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions; how many of these proceeded to prosecution; and how many convictions were secured, in each of the last three years. [148150]

  The Solicitor-General
  The Crown Prosecution Service holds no central records in relation to particular offences. The information is held on individual case files, and could be obtained only by examining every relevant file in each CPS office. The costs of such an exercise would be prohibitive.

  However, records kept by the Home Office show that the number of defendants prosecuted and convicted for child abuse offences (which has a wide definition) was as follows:

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  1997

  4,255

  3,458

  1998

  4,938

  3,412

  1999

  5,184

  3,519

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Fraud
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what savings have been made in his Department over the last 20 years, based on current prices, in(a) cash and (b) percentage of spending terms from (i) detecting fraud and (ii) providing a more accurate and efficient service administration. [147314]

  Mr. Rooker
  The information requested on savings from detecting fraud and administration changes over the last 20 years is not available. We have however set in track a number of improvements to administration and tackling fraud that will produce savings in the years to come.

  We are reforming the welfare state, to make it fit for the 21st century. After years of under-investment, we are putting in the investment needed to deliver more streamlined services focused on the individual needs of our customers, making better use of technology, and reducing the amount of fraud and error in the system.

  We are modernising the way DSS services are delivered. From 2001, we will create a dedicated new service for pensioners and a new working age agency, bringing together the Employment Service and parts of the Benefits Agency dealing with people of working age. Over the next three years we will build new IT systems to deliver a modern, streamlined service to all our clients. From 2003 the normal method of benefit payment will be by Automated Credit Transfer directly into bank accounts, saving an estimated £500 million a year in reduced administration costs. We have also introduced new streamlined arrangements for handling disputes and appeals across the Department.

  After years of neglect we are getting to grips with Social Security fraud. We are implementing a strategy to tighten up the system and make sure that from the very first claim, the right benefits are going to the right people at the right time. We have set firm targets for reducing the amount of fraud and error in Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance by 25 per cent. by March 2004, rising to 50 per cent. by March 2006. The latest results show that we have already made a reduction in fraud and error from 9 per cent. of the benefit paid to 8.4 per cent.

  State Pensions Liability
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total liability at 2001 prices of the state to pay basic state pensions, assuming that all existing contributors retire and that all pensioners die at the national average age of death. [148009]

  Mr. Rooker
  Long-term estimates of future basic state pension liabilities are published in table 15.1 of the Government Actuary's Department quinquennial review, "National Insurance Fund: Long Term Financial Estimates". A copy is available in the Library.

  Minimum Income Guarantee
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the additional cost of 286W
  paying the Minimum Income Guarantee to (a) all eligible Scottish pensioners and (b) to all Scottish pensioners, at April 2001 rates. [147559]

  Mr. Rooker
  There are no additional costs associated with administering the Minimum Income Guarantee to Scottish pensioners.

  Means-tested Benefits
  Mr. Grieve
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the total cost(a) of people receiving a means-tested benefit in Scotland, (b) of providing a means-tested benefit for people aged 15 to 25 in Scotland, (c) of providing a means-tested benefit for people aged 26 to 40 in Scotland and (d) of providing a means-tested benefit for people aged 41 to 65 in Scotland for each year since 1992 in cash terms and at 1999–2000 prices. [145649]

  Angela Eagle
  The information requested is in the tables.

  Amount of means-tested benefits paid to people in Scotland by age

  £ million

  Year

  Total all ages

  Aged 15 to 25 26

  Aged to 40

  Aged 41 to 65

  1992–93

  2,434

  388

  817

  664

  1993–94

  2,576

  401

  855

  737

  1994–95

  2,713

  393

  933

  765

  1995–96

  2,806

  397

  975

  816

  1996–97

  2,758

  382

  967

  808

  1997–98

  2,983

  346

  1,056

  916

  1998–99

  2,944

  337

  1,027

  917

  1999–2000

  2,941

  325

  999

  943

  Amount of means-tested benefits paid to people in Scotland by age, at 1999–2000 prices

  £ million

  Year

  Total all ages

  Aged 15 to 25

  Aged 26 to 40

  Aged 41 to 65

  1992–93

  2,913

  464

  977

  795

  1993–94

  3,003

  467

  997

  859

  1994–95

  3,119

  451

  1,073

  879

  1995–96

  3,136

  443

  1,089

  911

  1996–97

  2,986

  414

  1,046

  875

  1997–98

  3,141

  364

  1,112

  964

  1998–99

  3,013

  345

  1,051

  939

  1999–2000

  2,941

  325

  999

  943

  Notes:

  1. 'Means-tested benefits' are defined as Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based), Family Credit, Disability Working Allowance, Housing Benefit, Community Charge Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

  2. Figures are rounded to the nearest million.

  3. Totals for all ages include recipients over age 65 and do not sum.

  4. Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based), Family Credit, Housing Benefit, Community Charge Benefit and Council Tax Benefit estimates are based on caseload samples taken in May in each of the years and are subject to a degree of sampling error. Disability Working Allowance figures are based on a 100 per cent. scan of all Disability Working Allowance claimants.

  5. Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based) replaced Income Support for the unemployed from October 1996.

  6. Community Charge Benefit was replaced by Council Tax Benefit from April 1993.

  7. Family Credit was replaced by Working Families Tax Credit from October 1999.
  287W
  8. Disability Working Allowance was replaced by Working Families Tax Credit from October 1999.

  9. Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit figures include all local authority spending on benefit payments in addition to the money funded directly from Central Government.

  10. The latest GDP deflator was used in the calculation of the amounts of benefits in real terms.

  Sources:

  Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1992 to May 1999.

  Jobseeker's Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1997 to May 1999.

  Family Credit 5 per cent. sample of awards.

  Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent.

  sample inquiries, May 1992 to May 1999.

  Disability Working Allowance 100 per cent. count of claims.

  Departmental Report 2000.

  Pre-Budget Report 2000.

  Mr. Grieve
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in Scotland were in receipt of means-tested benefit in Scotland,(a) aged 15 to 25, (b) aged 26 to 40, (c) aged 41 to 65 and (d) in total for each year since 1992. [145650]

  Angela Eagle
  The information is in the table.

  Number of means-tested benefits recipients by age of claimant in Scotland, 1992–99

  Thousand

  year

  Total all ages

  15 to 25

  26 to 40

  41 to 65

  1992

  930

  130

  210

  240

  1993

  900

  130

  220

  240

  1994

  890

  120

  220

  240

  1995

  890

  120

  230

  240

  1996

  890

  120

  230

  250

  1997

  860

  100

  230

  250

  1998

  840

  90

  230

  250

  1999

  830

  90

  220

  250

  Notes:

  1. 'Means-tested benefits' are defined as Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (Income Based), Family Credit, Disability Working Allowance, Housing Benefit, Community Charge Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

  2. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten thousand.

  3. Recipients of more than one benefit have been counted only once.

  4. Figures do not include dependent members of a claimant's family.

  5. Totals for all ages include recipients over age 65 and do not sum.

  6. Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (Income Based), Family Credit, Housing Benefit, Community Charge Benefit and Council Tax Benefit estimates are based on caseload samples taken in May in each of the years and are subject to a degree of sampling error. Disability Working Allowance figures are based on a 100 per cent. scan of all Disability Working Allowance claimants.

  7. Jobseekers Allowance (Income Based) replaced Income Support for the unemployed from October 1996.

  8. Community Charge Benefit was replaced by Council Tax Benefit from April 1993.

  9. Family Credit was replaced by Working Families Tax Credit from October 1999.

  10. Disability Working Allowance was replaced by Working Families Tax Credit from October 1999.

  Sources:

  Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1992 to May 1999.

  Jobseekers Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1997 to May 1999.

  Family Credit 5 per cent. sample of awards.

  Housing Benefit Management Information System, Annual 1 per cent.

  sample enquiries, May 1992 to May 1999.

  Disability Working Allowance 100 per cent. count of claims.

  Circulars and Guidelines (Housing/Council Tax Benefits)
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the adjudication and operations circulars and guidelines on(a) Housing Benefit and (b) Council Tax Benefit that have been issued to local authorities since May 1997; and place copies of these in the Library. [146343]

  Angela Eagle
  As well as giving local authorities advance notice about changes in the operation of the scheme, the circulars provide them with routine information: for example, advising them of changes to DSS personnel contact phone numbers, or notifying them of uprating changes.

  A list of the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit circulars issued since May 1997 has been placed in the Library. Copies of these circulars are already in the Library.

  Council Tax Benefit Regulations
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress has been made in his review of Council Tax Benefit regulations; and if he will make a statement. [147127]

  Angela Eagle
  In March 1999, we commissioned independent researchers to monitor the effects of the Council Tax Benefit restrictions introduced in April 1998. The report has now been finalised. However, the data obtained for this project proved to be of variable quality and therefore the findings are not generally reliable. Copies of the report will be placed in the Library in February and will be available on request.

  We are continuing to keep the current Council Tax Benefit restrictions under review.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if a client of the Child Support Agency may request the agency to close his case prior to the introduction of the new scheme with the intention of re-applying after April 2002. [146600]

  Angela Eagle
  The Child Support Agency may close a child support case when asked to do so by the person who originally made the application, provided that the parent with care is not in receipt of Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.

  The new child support scheme will start first for new cases from April 2002. Existing cases will be transferred at a later date once we are sure that the new scheme is working well and changes in the levels of assessment will be phased in.

  If an existing case is closed before conversion to the new scheme, any fresh application made within 13 weeks will lead to an old scheme maintenance assessment, followed by conversion to the new scheme on the same date as other existing assessments. It would not be right for existing clients to be able to manipulate the rules for their own advantage by going off the books for short periods.
  289W
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what increase in resources the CSA plans for the Independent Case Examiner; [147004]

  (2) what are the processing times by the Independent Case Examiner for the CSA for cases referred (a) by a Member of Parliament and (b) by members of the public; [147005]

  (3) how many CSA cases have been referred to the Independent Case Examiner for each year since its establishment; what was the annual funding for the ICE since its inception; how many outstanding cases are with the ICE; and what is the waiting time for ICE referred cases to be processed. [146924]

  Angela Eagle
  The current clearance time for cases referred to the Independent Case Examiner by Members of Parliament and members of the public is 29 weeks. This is an improvement on the financial year 1999–2000 when clearance took 33.7 weeks on average. Additional funding was allocated in September 2000 for the recruitment of seven extra staff. The office of the Independent Case Examiner is currently in the process of recruiting the extra staff, which will result in a 17 per cent. increase in investigative resources.

  The office of the Independent Case Examiner opened in April 1997. There are currently 227 cases awaiting investigation. Cases referred currently wait around 11 weeks for an investigation to begin.

  Annual funding figures and the number of complaints received

  Financial year

  Complaints received

  Annual funding (£)

  1997–98

  1,087

  11,025,675

  1998–99

  1,226

  1920,960

  1999–2000

  1,536

  11,176,040

  2000–01 (to date)

  1,195

  11,176,040

  1Actual costs

  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the average waiting time is for clients awaiting investigations by the Independent Case Examiner's Office looking at the work of the CSA; and if he will make a statement. [146506]

  Angela Eagle
  Cases referred to the Independent Case Examiner currently wait around 11 weeks for investigation to begin. Average clearance times are currently around 29 weeks overall. Additional funding was allocated in September 2000, representing a 17 per cent. increase in investigative resources.

  Widow's Bereavement Allowance
  Mr.swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make Widow's Bereavement Allowance available to widowers. [148209]

  Angela Eagle
  We are introducing bereavement benefits in April which will be available to both men and women equally for the first time. There will be a new weekly benefit for widowed parents who satisfy the qualifying conditions and a new lump sum bereavement payment of £2,000—double the existing widow's payment.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Livestock Farmers
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what meetings he has held with livestock farmers' representatives in the last month. [146785]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  I last met livestock farmers' representatives only yesterday at the MLC Outlook Conference. I met the President of the NFU on 30 January, and livestock farmers in Cirencester, Kirton, Corby, Norfolk, Great Yarmouth and Braintree on 6,18,19,23 and 24 January respectively.

  Sugar Producers (Everything but Arms Initiative)
  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the implications of the everything but Arms initiative for British sugar producers and processors. [146786]

  Ms Quin
  The Commission's proposal would progressively reduce duties on imports of sugar from the least developed countries and the principle of access for LDC's is one which the Government support (which, depending on the volume of imports the LDCs were able to supply, could require the EU to respond by taking action to reduce existing cane or beet supplies.) However, the proposal also contains a safeguard clause to guard against any large-scale disruptive increase in imports. We are pressing for the implications of the LDC proposal to be fully examined in the context of current discussions on the future shape of the EU sugar regime.

  Fish Stocks
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with United Kingdom fishing industry representatives on the level of fish stocks. [146787]

  Mr. Morley
  Prior to the December Fisheries Council, I met with the UK fishing industry to discuss the scientific advice on the state of fish stocks as well as prospects for the 2001 TACs and quota package. I also saw the UK industry on 10 January to discuss their ideas about the North Sea cod and Northern hake recovery plans.

  BSE
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to ensure that scientific advice to Ministers relating to BSE is placed in the public domain. [146788]

  Ms Quin
  Under this Government, several steps have been taken to ensure that scientific advice on BSE is put into the public domain, including the establishment of the Food Standards Agency and greater openness for the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee. There are no restrictions on the publication of scientific advice to Ministers on BSE risks.

  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what contingency plans he has made in the event of research showing that the BSE causative agent crosses further species barriers. [146802]
  291W
  Ms Quin
  As part of the Government's approach to risk management, officials from a number of Departments have been preparing a contingency plan in case in the future BSE is found to be occurring naturally in sheep. I shall want to discuss the draft plan, when it is ready, with those who would be involved in its implementation. It will be a public document.

  EU Enlargement
  Mr. Best
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with his counterparts in central and eastern Europe concerning the effect of enlargement of the European Union on agriculture in the United Kingdom. [146789]

  Ms Quin
  Over the past 12 months, my Ministerial colleagues and I have held discussions with our counterparts from Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Latvia, Bulgaria and Romania. Further meetings are planned.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. McCabe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the priorities are of his Department's programme of research and development for animal welfare. [146790]

  Mr. Morley
  MAFF's research on animal welfare has funding up to £3.7 million in the current year. Its aim is to support our objective of ensuring farmed animals and fish are protected by high welfare standards and do not suffer pain or distress.

  We have 45 projects in three programmes covering:

  On-farm welfare

  Welfare during handling and transport

  Welfare at slaughter.

  All receive equal priority.

  Mr. Hilary Benn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received concerning animal welfare in advance of the next round of World Trade Organisation negotiations. [146797]

  Mr. Morley
  I have received a number of representations on this subject, and have supported the Commission's proposal to the WTO that animal welfare issues be considered in trade liberalisation negotiations.

  Scientific Advisory Committees
  Mr. Geraint Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to promote openness and transparency in his Ministry's scientific advisory committees. [146791]

  Ms Quin
  All chairmen and members of MAFF scientific advisory committees which are also non-departmental public bodies are appointed in accordance with the Guidance of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. In addition, we have taken a number of steps to increase openness, including holding open sessions, publishing agendas and minutes of meetings and issuing public reports.

  Farm Woodland Schemes
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers participate in farm woodland schemes. [146793]

  Mr. Morley
  Between 1988 and end 2000, there were 8,225 approved applications under the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme and/or its predecessor the Farm Woodland Scheme. Individuals may make more than one application.

  Food Supply Chain
  Mr. Rammell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to improve co-operation in the agri-food chain. [146794]

  Ms Quin
  Government and industry are working in a number of ways to promote improved levels of co-operation and working together in the food chain. For instance, some £5 million of grant aid has been allocated to projects under the Agriculture Development Scheme and many of these are being taken forward by supply chain partnerships.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with(a) the Department of Trade and Industry, (b) supermarkets and (c) growers on proposed codes of practice defining their respective relationships. [146799]

  Ms Quin
  The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked the Director General of Fair Trading to seek the agreement of the major supermarkets to a binding Code of Practice that addresses the specific concerns identified by the Competition Commission in its recent report on the supply of groceries from multiple stores. Officials have been kept informed of progress on the drafting of the Code by the Office of Fair Trading and have maintained contact with the DTI. We have received a number of representations about the proposed Code from individual supermarket companies and representatives of suppliers.

  Farm Diversification
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to help farm businesses seeking to diversify. [146795]

  Mr. Morley
  The England Rural Development Programme supports farm diversification through the £152 million Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES), Processing and Marketing Grants, the Vocational Training Scheme and tree-planting schemes. MAFF is producing a free guide on farm diversification and aims to make available free planning advice to RES applicants for farm diversification. The Rural White Paper contains a number of extra initiatives on planning to help diversification and we have consulted on providing time-limited rate relief for farmers wishing to diversify into non-farming activities.

  Dairy Market
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he had with British Creameries before it went into receivership concerning the state of the milk and cheese market. [146796]
  293W
  Ms Quin
  No such discussions took place with British Creameries.

  Horticulture
  Mr. Pollard
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to reduce the level of regulation on the horticulture sector. [146798]

  Ms Quin
  As part of the Red Tape reviews initiated in September 1999, we have examined those areas of concern identified by the industry and secured changes in EU provisions and also simplified our own procedures. On the former, we have successfully argued in Brussels that non-grower members should be able to become full members of Producer Organisation (PO) Boards; and for a fixed level of aid to be paid under the EU scheme, as requested by the UK industry. On the latter, improvements have been made to the for Ms and explanatory material, issued by this Department, for producer organisations.

  Farm Incomes (Blaby)
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will visit farmers in Blaby to discuss farm incomes. [146800]

  Ms Quin
  My right hon. Friend the Minister has no immediate plans to visit Blaby. However my right hon. Friend and I will be meeting many farmers at the Annual General Meeting of the National Farmers Union on 7 February and I am sure that the issue of farm incomes will be discussed.

  Local Authority Tenanted Farms
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the future viability of local authorities' tenanted farms. [146801]

  Ms Quin
  Local authorities' tenanted farms are important in providing a first rung on the farming ladder. Day-to-day management of these estates is the responsibility of individual smallholdings authorities. I welcome the initiative shown by authorities which pursue active and imaginative policies to maintain their estates' viability.

  Chicken Welfare
  Mr. Loughton
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of eggs are produced

  Table 2: Estimated CAP support1 to UK agriculture by sector, 1997–98

  £ million

  Cereals

  Sugar beet

  Fruit and vegetables

  Oilseeds

  Proteins

  Linseed

  Set aside and AAPS simplified

  Arable

  Total

  of which price support

  Price support

  Price support

  Direct aid

  Direct aid

  Direct aid

  Direct aid

  England2

  905

  230

  140

  145

  140

  70

  35

  115

  Wales

  10

  5

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  5

  Scotland

  138

  42

  0

  13

  23

  1

  0

  21

  Northern Ireland

  7

  4

  0

  3

  0

  0

  0

  6

  United Kingdom

  1,060

  281

  140

  160

  165

  70

  35

  145

  Percentage price support

  26

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Value of output, 1997

  2,913

  —

  300

  1,153

  406

  129

  51

  —

  Percentage of 1997 UK output

  36

  —

  47

  14

  41

  53

  67

  —

  294W
  by free range hens; and what steps the Government are taking to promote higher welfare standards for chickens kept to produce eggs. [146803]

  Mr. Morley
  Some 17 per cent. of egg production in the UK comes from free range systems.

  Regulations are currently being drafted to implement EU Directive 99/74/EC which sets down improved welfare standards for laying hens in all production systems.

  Agricultural Support
  Paddy Ashdown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what his estimate is of the total financial support for(a) United Kingdom and (b) English agriculture (i) directly and (ii) indirectly in each year since 1990–91; and if he will make a statement. [145954]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 25 January 2001]: Agricultural producers receive financial support in two ways: from consumers, as a result of the maintenance of market prices for some commodities at levels above those obtaining on world markets; and from taxpayers, in the form of direct receipts from the Exchequer.

  The value of producer support receipts from consumers can only be estimated and is dependent upon several assumptions, including the level of world prices which would have obtained in the absence of the CAP. An estimate by research analysis of the value of market support received by producers and direct producer receipts from the Exchequer for the year 1997–98 has been published in a Ministry report "Reducing Farm Subsidies; Economic Adjustment in Rural Areas", which can be found on the Ministry website.

  Total support received by UK producers from both of these sources was estimated to be a little under £6 billion in that year. A copy of the relevant table is to be found at Table 2. Some information concerning support receipts by English producers is also given.

  Exchequer expenditure on UK agriculture for the years 1990–91 to 1999–2000 is also given. Expenditure peaked in 1996–97 as a result of the MacSharry reforms of the CAP—which shifted the burden of support from consumers to taxpayers—and the measures put in place in respect of BSE. Not all of these expenditures will have benefited farmers directly: for example, some expenditures relating to the cost of storing surplus produce are not a direct receipt by producers. Corresponding figures are not available in England.
  295W

  £ million

  Beef

  Sheep

  Dairy

  Poultry3

  Livestock

  Total

  of which price support

  Total

  of which Price support

  Price support

  Price support

  Grand total

  Price support as a percentage of total support

  England2

  625

  150

  215

  85

  1,070

  165

  3,625

  53

  Wales

  138

  34

  148

  44

  153

  16

  473

  52

  Scotland

  249

  56

  124

  40

  125

  22

  715

  40

  Northern Ireland

  223

  55

  40

  13

  154

  20

  453

  53

  United Kingdom

  1,240

  295

  525

  180

  1,505

  220

  5,270

  53

  Percentage price support

  24

  —

  35

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Value of output, 1997

  2,269

  —

  1,199

  —

  3,160

  1,482

  18,094

  —

  Percentage of 1997 UK output

  55

  —

  44

  —

  47

  15

  29

  —

  Total UK CAP commodity support (£ billion)

  5.27

  Other national and structural spending (£ billion)

  0.61

  Total support received by UK farmers (£ billion)

  5.88

  As a proportion of gross output (percentage)

  32

  1Price support estimated by multiplying production volumes by the estimated UK-world price gaps.

  2English and UK figures rounded to the nearest £5 million. Figures may not add up due to rounding.

  3Price support for other intensive livestock, net of excess feed costs arising from cereals market support, is assumed to equal zero.

  Notes:

  1. Direct payments include: AAPS; for beef—BSPS, SCPS, OTMS and de-seasonalisation premium (NI only), but excluding BSE-emergency measures paid in 1997; for sheep—SAPS; plus HLCAs for beef and sheep (worth £0.1 billion). Other national and structural funding is not included in the detailed figures.

  2. Ornamentals and potatoes are assumed to receive no direct or market support.

  Source:

  MAFF, Economic and Statistics Group, August 1999

  Table 1: UK public expenditure under the CAP and on national grants and subsidies

  Year (April-March)

  £ million

  1990–91

  1,910

  1991–92

  1,977

  1992–93

  2,028

  1993–94

  2,905

  1994–95

  2,512

  1995–96

  2,897

  1996–97

  4,318

  1997–98

  3,583

  1998–99

  3,482

  1999–20001

  3,172

  1Forecast

  Source:

  Agriculture in the United Kingdom

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish details of recipients of agricultural support in excess of £500,000 per annum. [147543]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 26 January 2001]: The Code of Practice on Access to Government Information defines the categories of information which are exempt from the commitments to provide information. Part II indent 12 (Privacy of an Individual) exempts disclosure to a third party of personal information which could facilitate a unwarranted invasion of privacy.

  Additionally, Article 9 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 3508/92 of 27 November 1992 establishing an integrated administration and control system for certain Community aid schemes, states that
  "member states shall take the measures necessary to ensure protection of the data collected".

  This is reinforced by indent 15 (Statutory and other restrictions) of the Code of Practice which indicates exemption where such cases are prohibited under European Community law.
  296W
  It is therefore not appropriate to publish such details of recipients of agricultural support for reasons of confidentiality.

  Badger Culling
  Mr. David Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress reports he has recently received in relation to the selective culling programme for badgers. [146804]

  Ms Quin
  Ten areas have been enrolled in the badger culling trial and initial culling has been carried out in seven of these, in line with the timetable set down by the Independent Scientific Group (ISG) on cattle TB. The ISG has advised that the trial is on course to produce results by the end of 2004 and possibly earlier.

  Rural Development Funding
  Mr. Breed
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at what rate rural development funding obtained though the modulation scheme will be matched by Government funding. [147852]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 30 January 2001]: The Spending Review 2000 plans include match funding of modulation receipts at a rate of 100 per cent.

  Agricultural and Food Imports
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the volume of (1) food imports into the United Kingdom; [147853]

  (2) agricultural imports into the United Kingdom. [147854]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 30 January 2001]: The tables show summaries of the volume and value of agricultural and food imports into the UK in 1999, as recorded by the Overseas Trade Statistics. More detailed information on processed and unprocessed imports,

  297W
  covering the period 1988 to 2000, is available on the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food website at: http://www.maff.gov.uk/esg/excel/webindig.xls.

  Livestock imports in 1999

  Number (000 head)

  Value (£ million)

  Cattle

  3.0

  2.3

  Sheep and goats

  123.4

  4.5

  Pigs

  180.3

  10.0

  Poultry, including chicks

  9,134.6

  5.5

  Agricultural and food imports in 1999

  Quantity (000 Tonnes)

  Value (£ million)

  Unprocessed

  Eggs

  16.0

  11.5

  Fish: live, fresh or chilled

  82.2

  141.7

  Cereals, unmilled

  2,625.8

  286.8

  Fruit and vegetables: fresh, chilled or frozen

  3,974.3

  2,364.7

  Honey

  23.2

  16.1

  Cocoa and coffee

  351.0

  341.1

  Animal feedingstuffs

  141.8

  9.7

  Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits

  1,149.2

  199.4

  Total unprocessed

  8,363.5

  3,371.1

  Processed

  Meat and meat products

  1,298.5

  2,194.9

  Dairy products and egg products

  760.7

  1,175.9

  Fish, frozen or prepared

  469.0

  1,148.5

  Cereals and bakery products

  1,145.5

  847.9

  Fruit and vegetables, processed or preserved

  2,949.7

  1,768.6

  Sugar and sugar confectionery

  2,258.6

  725.2

  Cocoa and chocolate, coffee, tea and spices

  472.3

  893.6

  Animal feedingstuffs

  4,624.4

  639.9

  Cooked and prepared foods, sauces

  578.4

  963.5

  Alcoholic drinks

  2,427.4

  2,854.5

  Animal oils and fats

  1,570.9

  617.9

  Total processed

  18,555.3

  13,830.3

  Total imports

  26,918.8

  17,201.4

  Livestock Imports (France)
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on livestock imports from France, [147851]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 30 January 2001]: The Chief Veterinary Officer's report for 1999 shows that livestock imports from France during 1999 were as follows:

  Number

  Cattle

  Breeding

  175

  Cattle

  Fattening

  1,458

  Sheep

  Breeding

  86

  Sheep

  Fattening

  184

  The importation of all these animals is subject to harmonised Community rules.

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Sir Nicholas Lyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many public interest immunity 298W
  certificates (a) he, (b) Ministers of State, (c) junior Ministers and (d) civil servants in his Department have signed in each calendar year from 30 May 1997 [147733]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 30 January 2001]: There have been no public interest immunity certificates issued from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in respect of civil or criminal litigation from 30 May 1997.

  Pet Travel Scheme
  Ms Dari Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made in the extension of the Pet Travel Scheme to rabies-free islands. [146776]

  Ms Quin
  The Pet Travel Scheme was extended from 31 January to include cats and dogs from 28 rabies-free islands, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Cyprus. Over 14,500 cats and dogs have now successfully entered the UK using the scheme since it was launched last February.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Members of Parliament (General Election Statistics)
  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the President of the Council how many hon. Members left the House through(a) retirement and (b) losing their seats in (i)1983, (ii) 1987, (iii) 1992 and (iv) 1997. [148264]

  Mrs. Beckett
  This information requested is not held centrally.

  However, unofficial publications provide the following information:

  Stood down

  Defeated

  1983

  77

  63

  1987

  87

  41

  1992

  79

  60

  1997

  117

  132

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Speeding Fines
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was collected in fixed-penalty speeding fines on Northern Ireland's(a) Ml and M2 motorways, (b) urban non-motorway roads and (c) rural non-motorway roads for each year since 1996. [144693]

  Mr. Lock
  I have been asked to reply.

  Information detailing the amounts collected in fixed-penalty speeding fines in Northern Ireland since 1996 by category or road is not held centrally.

  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was collected in speeding fines in Northern Ireland in the years 1996 to 2000; and how and where this money was spent. [144685]

  Mr. Lock
  I have been asked to reply.
  299W
  Information detailing how much money was collected in speeding fines in Northern Ireland during the years 1996 to 2000 is not held centrally. Such fines are paid over directly to HM Treasury's Consolidated Fund.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Entertainment Expenses
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to the answers of 29 January 2001,Official Report, column 71W, if she will publish the full list of invitees to the party at Haymarket House on 22 September 1999 for the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz); and if the Lord Chancellor spoke at that function to welcome guests. [148265]

  Jane Kennedy
  As I have already made clear, the reception was hosted by The Hinduja Foundation who determined the invitation list, which was cross-party. The Lord Chancellor spoke briefly at the function.

  Asylum Appeals
  Mrs. Fitzsimons
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary,Lord Chancellor's Department what provision the Government are making for the general public, asylum seekers and their representatives to access information about the asylum appeals system. [148633]

  Jane Kennedy
  The Immigration Appellate Authority is today launching a websitewww.iaa.gov.uk. The site features up-to-date information on the organisation, the two judicial tiers it administers and the appeal procedures that apply. The IAA website will have links to the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Community Legal Service siteswww.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk. and

  Fines etc. in Greater Manchester, October 1999 to September 2000

  £

  New amount owed

  Amount paid

  Percentage paid

  Net amount written off

  Percentage written off

  Manchester

  7,149,567

  3,371,738

  47.2

  2,115,156

  29.6

  North and West Manchester

  11,120,286

  6,457,388

  58.1

  2,322,087

  20.9

  Oldham

  1,514,404

  895,342

  59.1

  519,254

  34.3

  Stockport

  2,225,873

  1,052,881

  47.3

  480,070

  21.6

  Tameside

  1,632,282

  816,770

  50.0

  320,291

  19.6

  Trafford

  1,874,208

  984,091

  52.5

  325,158

  17.3

  Greater Manchester total

  25,516,620

  13,578,210

  53.2

  6,082,016

  23.8

  England and Wales total

  391,750,916

  224,194,079

  57.2

  67,628,658

  17.3

  Notes:

  1. New amount owed includes fines, fee orders, costs orders, compensation and confiscation orders, imposed either by magistrates, or by Crown court judges and transferred to magistrates courts for enforcement

  2. Debt analysis data are collected centrally from Magistrates Courts Committee areas. They do not distinguish between individual courts in the area. North and West Manchester MCC is responsible for administration in Bury, Wigan, Rochdale, Middleton, Leigh, Salford and Bolton magistrates courts.

  3. Amounts paid and written off may relate to amounts imposed before the current 12 month period.

  4. The net amount written off includes amounts written back.

  Source:

  LCD Management Information System
  300W
  www.justask.org.uk. The IAA website will provide a useful entry point to gain information on the process of applying for asylum.

  A key feature of the IAA site is the provision of detailed daily court lists for all the Authority's hearing centres—allowing parties involved in appeals access to listing information as early as possible. Supporting the lists with on-line access to leaflets, guidance and travel maps, the website provides asylum seekers and their representatives with easily obtained practical information.

  Judges (Political Neutrality)
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what guidance he issues to judges on maintaining a politically neutral stance in public in respect of bills before Parliament. [147474]

  Mr. Lock
  The current guidance given to judges on appointment advises them against engagement in any capacity which might undermine, or be reasonably thought to undermine, their judicial independence or impartiality. A statement about the position of the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary was made by the Senior Law Lord in another place on 22 June 2000,Official Report, House of Lords, columns 419–20, setting out the general principles on the participation of the Lords of Appeal in the business of the House of Lords.

  Fines (Greater Manchester)
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department for the last 12 month period for which figures are available, what the total value was of fines imposed by each magistrates court in Greater Manchester; what percentage was collected in each case; and how much each court has written off as uncollectable. [147947]

  Jane Kennedy
  The information is in the table, with footnotes.

  Asylum Appeals: Website
  Asylum Appeals: Website
  Domestic Property Revaluation and Council Tax
  Domestic Property Revaluation and Council Tax
  Flood Damage: Local Authority Claims
  Flood Damage: Local Authority Claims
  Forty-four Tonne Lorries
  Forty-four Tonne Lorries
  Culture Online
  Culture Online
  Inheritance Tax
  Inheritance Tax
  Long-term Care Insurance: Tax Position
  Long-term Care Insurance: Tax Position
  AVGAS Sales: Duty
  AVGAS Sales: Duty
  Army Heavy Logistic Support Vehicles
  Army Heavy Logistic Support Vehicles
  National Blood Service and Anal Sex
  National Blood Service and Anal Sex
  BT Local Exchange Unbundling and Broadband Services
  BT Local Exchange Unbundling and Broadband Services
  Criminal Records Bureau: Charges to Voluntary Bodies
  Criminal Records Bureau: Charges to Voluntary Bodies
  Emergencies: Co-ordinated Response
  Emergencies: Co-ordinated Response
  Treaty on European Union, Treaty of Nice and Position of United Kingdom and Ireland Protocol
  Treaty on European Union, Treaty of Nice and Position of United Kingdom and Ireland Protocol
  Data Protection Code of Practice: E-mail Monitoring
  Data Protection Code of Practice: E-mail Monitoring